A Voice

As usual, it was an interesting week at AFT Connecticut.

Jan was in Chicago most of the week for the AFT State Presidents Conference, where she made not one, but three presentations to the group.

CT State Comptroller, Kevin Lembo was in the office for the AFT CT Retiree Division Council meeting. 

He is an incredibly intelligent man and yet, he can explain complex financial concepts in a way any layperson can understand. He also sees and can relay the “big picture,” how one decision in government affects all others.  Mostly, above all else, he cares about the state residents he serves, not some special interests. Because of his background as the State Healthcare Advocate, his knowledge of insurance and healthcare are both wide ranging and invaluable. 

The Retiree members peppered him with questions (they are a very engaged group of members and a valuable asset to us all) and he answered them all with clarity.

It’s always good to see Kevin, and an honor to have him in the building.

I sat in for Jan at a roundtable discussion for the Partnership Program. That’s the program where the Dailio Foundation has given $100,000,000 to the state, the state has matched this money, and they are seeking attritional donations to add up to a total of $300 million, which will be used in Connecticut Public Schools, specifically to help students who are at risk of not finishing their education.

The board of this newly formed foundation is having roundtable discussions to hear from community members and community groups, in order to develop a strategy to best address its mission.

Jan is a member of the Partnership board and we are lucky to have her voice at the table. Since she was out of state, she asked me to attend in her absence.

The discussion was far reaching and if I had to say what I thought was most important to me, it was to hear the experiences of those who live in communities where the worry to a student might be will they have a warm place to sleep and where their next meal is coming from. Under such conditions, it’s no wonder completing school and thereby finding a job that pays a living wage is difficult.

These are things that I cannot completely understand, because I have never had these worries. Sure, I’ve struggled to pay bills, but that’s a long way from being hungry and homeless.

That’s why its important to have roundtables like this one. We have to hear the voices to understand, and we have to understand if we want to make a difference.

It’s why its so important that Jan is on the Partnership board.

She brings the voice of our teachers, our PSRPs, and their students and student’s families to the table. 

Hearing all the voices and dealing with this in a holistic way that incorporates the issues of poverty, of race, of a need for teacher diversity, of all the issues, can guide the Partnership board and give it the best chance to make a positive difference.

I was also back at my home local this week, attending the Delegate meeting of the Backus Nurses. I’m proud of the work they are doing, let by Sheri and Jess, their president and VP. While I remain a full dues paying member, and a constitutional delegate, they, and Michelle who followed me as president, have taken the local to places I couldn’t have dreamed of when we started.  Yes, there are struggles every day, but the Backus Nurses are a voice, and we were not before we organized 8 years ago. 

It’s exciting to watch as a group becomes a voice of change and advocacy. 

That’s what the members of AFT are doing every day, being a voice for each other, for our patients, our students, and the public we serve.

That’s our mission in fact.

And that brings me to my last bit of news this week.

We received word from Congressman Joe Courtney’s office that H R 1309 is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives this coming week.

Yes, in spite of what you hear that the impeachment inquiry is preventing any “work” from getting done, progress is being made on many important issues.

H R 1309 is the Workplace Violence bill that would call for OSHA to develop a Standard on Workplace Violence in healthcare and social services.  Currently, there are voluntary guidelines which OSHA cannot enforce.

A Standard is enforceable. 

Such a Standard exists for other hazards in the workplace, such as chemicals and safety precautions.

In fact, today, if a nurse or other healthcare worker, or a social work, slips on a wet floor and falls, it must be reported and steps must be taken to prevent another accident, but if they are attacked and severely injured, no report, no training, no steps to prevent, no enforcement is possible.

H R 1309 would change this.

Representaitve Courtney has championed this in the House. 

AFT leadership has made it a priority.

AFT members are campaigning for it.

That is a voice for advocacy.

That is what a union is.